Maurizio Viroli is Professor of Government at the University of Texas (Austin), Professor of Political Communication at the University of Italian Switzerland at Lugano and Professor Emeritus of Politics at Princeton University. He is the author of numerous books, all widely translated, including: Republicanism (1999); Niccolò’s Smile. History of Machiavelli (2000²); For the Love of Country. Patriotism and nationalism in history(2001²); Dialogue on the Republic (with Norberto Bobbio, 2003⁶);Machiavelli’s God and Italy’s Moral Problem (2005); The Florence Years (with other authors, 2009); The Intransigent (2012³);The Freedom of Slaves (2012¹³).